TALKING STICK, AZ - OCTOBER 07: Luis Perales #91 of the Salt River Rafters pitches during the game between the Glendale Desert Dogs and the Salt River Rafters at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 in Talking Stick, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
As we all know, the Nationals need guys with louder stuff in the bullpen. They rank last in stuff+ and whiff rate among relievers. However, I think they have a potential solution sitting in their Triple-A rotation. Paul Toboni needs to unleash Luis Perales, and make him a high velocity bullpen arm.
Right now, the Nats are still trying to develop Perales as a starting pitcher. This offseason, they picked up Perales in a trade that sent Jake Bennett to the Red Sox. Right now, Bennett is pitching well in the big leagues, while Perales has a 4.42 ERA in AAA. Perales was viewed as the more raw, high upside arm of the pair, so it makes sense that he is a slower burn than Bennett.
However, I think they need to put pause on the starting experiment, and use Perales as a reliever. When you look at Luis Perales’ profile, it screams relief pitcher. He throws absolute gas, sitting at 98.4 MPH. Perales’ control and command really lag behind though. His 13% walk rate is problematic, and his inability to execute deep into games is cutting into his ability to generate strikeouts.
Luis Perales made his Nationals debut!
It's no surprise that Washington was interested in Perales from the Red Sox this winter. His fastball sat at 100 MPH with elite ride which pairs with a strong pair of cutters and sliders. There is some relief risk, but the stuff is nasty! pic.twitter.com/ljj3LlPia2
Perales is only 6 ‘0 tall and is coming off a Tommy John Surgery. All of this points to a future in the bullpen. However, I think Perales can be a good reliever, and make an impact fairly quickly. He has shown the ability to sit around 100 MPH in shorter bursts. Perales also has a few offspeed weapons. If he can simplify his approach, and throw a 4-seamer, cutter and changeup, he can be money.
In AAA, Perales has the best Stuff+ among starters. If you unleashed him in shorter bursts, I think that stuff would tick up even more. Perales needs to have extreme stuff because he is not getting batters out with command or execution like a Foster Griffin. The name of the game for him is blowing the ball by guys.
Another reason why I think Perales should get a big league shot before long is because he is already on the 40-man roster. This is also potentially his last option year, meaning he would have to stick in the big leagues next year. However, due to his long term injury last season, there is a pretty good chance that the Nats will receive an extra option year on Perales.
Regardless, they are going to need to get Perales acclimated to the MLB before too long. Right now, I do not think he has what it takes to be a starter. In the bullpen though, I think Perales has a chance to be a real weapon. He is also exactly what the Nats need from a profile perspective.
The Nats have a lot of funky, deceptive guys in the bullpen, like PJ Poulin, Brad Lord and Richard Lovelady. However, they do not have a guy who can throw 100 MPH. Luis Perales could change that, and light up radar guns at Nats Park.
After last night, where the Nats bullpen imploded and Perales had another lackluster start in AAA, I think the transition should happen immediately. If I were in Paul Toboni’s shoes, I would take Perales out of the rotation and get him used to the bullpen for a few weeks, and then add him to the big league roster.
The bullpen is Perales’ long term home most likely, and we need to get him used to being a reliever. He will need to learn things like going back to back days, and optimizing his pitch mix to be a reliever. I think it would be better to teach him that, then letting the flame thrower continue to struggle as a starter.
Even if you put him in the bullpen, that does not mean he has to be a reliever forever. Garrett Crochet, Chris Sale and Clay Holmes all spent time as relievers, and are now very good starting pitchers. We are seeing relievers convert to starters now more than ever.
The Yankees were in a similar spot with their flamethrowing prospect Carlos Lagrange, and recently moved him to the bullpen. For the Yankees, their idea is likely to get him used to the role and have him ready to be a factor for a playoff race. With the Nats also in the playoff hunt, they should be trying to do the same sort of thing.
The Nats are a competitive team that needs bullpen help. It is time for Paul Toboni to act that way, and use every avenue he can to improve the bullpen. Obviously, the trade market is one way to do that, but converting a guy like Perales to the bullpen is another solution. These bullpen meltdowns are unacceptable, and it is time for drastic measures.
Still, he finds himself in a solid spot to shove against the Baltimore Orioles, who have maintained a swing-happy offense all season long.
Over their last six games, the Orioles carry a 27% strikeout rate. Over the last 12, that number sits at 26.7%. According to Batters-Box, this lineup features nine bats above the league strikeout rate in the current season data.
Soriano has posted a 28% strikeout rate at home this season, along with a 30.7% called strike plus whiff rate. When sporting an elite rating, the right-hander clears 6+ strikeouts 50% of the time, and 7+ strikeouts 36.36% of the time.
Time: 4:07 p.m. ET
Where to watch: ABTV, MASN
Strikeout prop: Matthew Liberatore Under 3.5 strikeouts (-152)
The Arizona Diamondbacks do not feature a single hitter above league average in strikeout rate per Batters-Box. Liberatore also draws one of the weakest matchup strikeout environments on the slate, ranking near the bottom in opponent K profile.
Even with Arizona showing a slight cold stretch overall, the strikeout numbers remain strong. They have stayed Under 18% in strikeout rate over their last six, 12, and 21-game samples. Against left handed pitching this season, they are sitting at just a 7.8% strikeout rate as a team.
This is a very strong contact profile against southpaws, which only reinforces the case to continue fading Liberatore in this spot.
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
Where to watch: CARD, ARID
Walks prop: Rhett Lowder Over 2.5 walks (+127)
Yep, we're attacking your mom's favorite country singer, Rhett Lowder, as he finds himself in a vulnerable spot against one of the more patient offenses in baseball.
The Milwaukee Brewers own the second-highest walk rate on the road this season, sitting just north of 10%. Over their last 21 games, they rank first in baseball with a 10.7% walk rate.
This lineup also features seven hitters carrying at least a 7.7% walk rate over their last 60 at-bats against right-handed pitching.
On the other side, Lowder has battled command issues all season. Over his last five outings, he has handed out walks at nearly a 20% clip. While that number improves to 6.52% at home, he has still posted a 15.15% walk rate across his last three starts.
Hopefully the Brew Crew packed their best set of eyeballs for this one.
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: BREW, CINR
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
Prop picks: 236-436-36, -7.5 units
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver poses with the 2026 NBA Draft prospects for a portrait before the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is officially in the books, and if you have too short of an attention span to fully dive into the 30 players who heard their names called Tuesday night, here’s one fact about each player you can wow your friends and colleagues with:
1. AJ Dybantsa (Washington Wizards)
Dybantsa was extremely close with former Kentucky star Terrence Clarke, who tragically passed away in a car accident just weeks before the 2021 NBA Draft. The pair grew up in the same Boston area neighborhood, and Clarke took Dybantsa under his wing and served as a mentor for the future No. 1 pick. On draft night, Dybantsa’s suit featured a blue pin shaped like a heart that read “TC5” in honor of Clarke, who wore No. 5 at Kentucky.
2. Darryn Peterson (Utah Jazz)
Peterson became the first high school athlete to sign a name, image and likeness deal when he inked one with Adidas at just 16 years old. Shortly after, he signed another deal with Fanatics, becoming the youngest athlete to ever sign a trading card deal.
3. Cameron Boozer (Memphis Grizzlies)
Boozer didn’t capture a national championship during his one and only season at Duke, but he still continued his lengthy history of accumulating individual accolades and other titles. He’ll head to the NBA with an outrageous resume that includes being the 2025-26 consensus national Player of the Year, the ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, three-time Florida Mr. Basketball, two-time Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year (including one at the age of 15 in 2023), four state championships, two gold medals with Team USA, two FIBA World Cup MVP Awards, a McDonald’s All-American Game co-MVP award and three Peach Jam championships.
4. Caleb Wilson (Chicago Bulls)
Wilson is a lego enthusiast who built a Lego Lamborghini Countach during his one season at North Carolina.
“I didn’t commit to Carolina to come here and go to karaoke night,” Wilson said last October. “I came here to be a great basketball player, so I do things that are kind of mentally freeing off the court because I feel like it is definitely important for you to have a mental balance and you can’t put all your mental cards in one deck.”
5.Keaton Wagler (L.A. Clippers)
Perhaps the best story of the draft, Wagler became the first player of the “scouting network” era to not be a top 100 recruit according to any of the three major scouting services and still be a one-and-done lottery pick. Only 247 Sports had Wagler as a top 150 prospect in the class of 2025, and they had him No. 150.
Despite playing in just 21 games because of a lingering back injury, Brown Jr. still made history in his first and last season at Louisville. His 45-point effort against NC State in February set the record for points in a game by an ACC freshman, and matched the single-game scoring record at Louisville, held by the legendary Wes Unseld.
7. Darius Acuff Jr. (Sacramento Kings)
The 2026 Bob Cousy Award winner for being the top point guard in college basketball, Acuff joined the immortal Pete Maravich as the only players in SEC history to lead the league in both scoring and assists in a single season. Naturally, Acuff brought home SEC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors as well.
8.Kingston Flemings (Atlanta Hawks)
Not only did Flemings said the Houston freshman scoring record when he dropped 42 points on Texas Tech in January, but he finished the 2025-26 campaign as the first freshman in college basketball history to average 16+ points, 4+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and fewer than 2 turnovers per game.
9. Morez Johnson Jr. (Dallas Mavericks)
In being drafted by the Mavericks just two days after Dusty May’s shocking departure from Michigan to the Mavs, Johnson Jr. became the first player since 2014 to be drafted by a team with the same coach the draftee played for in college. The last time it happened was when Fred Hoiberg and the Bulls drafted Cameron Bairstow, who had starred for Hoiberg at Iowa State.
10.Brayden Burries (Milwaukee Bucks)
While Burries now owns most of the family bragging rights, his older brother, BJ, still owns the title of being the leading all-time scorer in Arizona boys high school basketball history (3,387 career points). BJ Burries spent last season as a graduate assistant at Arizona.
11. Yaxel Lendeborg (Golden State Warriors)
At 23 years old, Lendeborg was the oldest player selected during Tuesday night’s first round. Lendeborg spent three years at a junior college and then two more at UAB before wrapping up his college career by helping Michigan win the 2025-26 national championship.
12. Aday Mara (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Measuring 7’3 without shoes at the NBA Draft combine, Mara was the tallest player selected in the first round. His 103 blocks last season at Michigan set a new single season school record.
13. Nate Ament (Milwaukee Bucks)
Ament’s mother, Godelive, is a nurse who was born and raised in Rwanda. Ament frequently wears shoes featuring Rwanda’s flag colors (light blue, yellow, and green) with a golden sun to honor her heritage. Despite being just 19 years old, he has already traveled to the country multiple times and hosted basketball clinics there.
14. Hannes Steinbach (Charlotte Hornets)
The native of Germany led the entire NCAA in rebounding (11.8 rebounds per game) last season, and registered 22 double-doubles in 30 games. He also became one of just 14 freshmen in NCAA history to record 550 points and 350 rebounds in a season.
15. Dailyn Swain (Chicago Bulls)
After spending two seasons at Xavier, Swain blew up in his first season and only season at Texas. He was the only player in the country last season to lead his team in every major statistical category (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and minutes played).
16. Bennett Stirtz (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Stirtz’s college career was spent following head coach Ben McCollum from Division-II Northwest Missouri State for two seasons, to Drake University for a season, and then finally to Iowa for the season that would make him a household name.
17. Ebuka Okorie (Detroit Pistons)
Okorie was committed to Harvard, where both of his parents went, before convincing them that he was good enough at basketball to potentially make a career out of it. When he expressed the desire to play at a power conference school, his parents agreed, but only if it was a power conference schools with academic standards similar to Harvard’s. After one season at Stanford, he’s now off to the NBA.
18. Christian Anderson (Charlotte Hornets)
Anderson was named the Big 12’s Most Improved Player after an all-conference season that saw him set a new Texas Tech record for assists in a single season (244).
19. Allen Graves (Toronto Raptors)
From 1947 through 2021, Santa Clara had just three players in program history who were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. They’ve now had three first round picks in the last five years (Jalen Williams in 2022, Brandin Podziemski in 2023, and Graves in 2025).
20. Jayden Quaintance (San Antonio Spurs)
Quaintance is the youngest McDonald’s All-American history, making the 2024 roster at the age of just 16. His young age forced him to play two seasons in college (one at Arizona State and one at Kentucky) before being eligible for the 2026 NBA Draft.
21. Karim Lopez (Memphis Grizzlies)
Lopez if the first Mexican-born player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, and just the second Mexican-born player to be drafted, period.
22.Labaron Philon Jr. (Philadelphia 76ers)
As a sophomore last season at Alabama, Philon became the only Division-I player in the country to average at least 22.0 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 50.0 percent or better from the floor.
23. Zuby Ejiofor (Atlanta Hawks)
Ejiofor made history in 2025-26 by becoming the first player in Big East history to win the league’s Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards in the same season.
24. Cameron Carr (Los Angeles Lakers)
Carr’s father, Chris, played six seasons in the NBA and was the runner-up to Lakers legend Kobe Bryant in the 1997 NBA Slam Dunk Contest when Bryant was just 18-years-old. Carr’s mother, Tanya, was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ dance team.
25. Sergio De Larrea (Dallas Mavericks)
He was named Best Young Player after spending the 2025-26 season playing for Valencia Basket in Spain’s Liga Endesa.
26. Tarris Reed Jr. (San Antonio Spurs)
Reed has the unfortunate distinction of being a member of the Michigan Wolverines while the UConn Huskies were winning the 2023 and 2024 national championships, and then transferring to UConn where his college career ended with a loss to Michigan in the 2026 national championship game.
27. Chris Cenac Jr. (Boston Celtics)
Boasting a massive 7’5 wingspan, Cenac grabbed at least one offensive rebound in 33 of the 37 games he played for Houston in 2025-26.
28. Joshua Jefferson (Brooklyn Nets)
A super versatile 6’9 point forward, Jefferson became the first player in Iowa State and Big 12 history to record multiple triple-doubles in a single season during conference play. He recorded the first against West Virginia on Jan. 2 and then repeated the feat against Central Florida 18 days later.
29. Alex Karaban (Sacramento Kings)
UConn’s all-time leader in made three-pointers (276), Karaban was the only player selected Tuesday night who was a member of multiple national title winning teams in college.
30. Koa Peat (Phoenix Suns)
Peat is the youngest of seven siblings, and his older brother, Andrus Peat, was a three-time Pro Bowl NFL offensive lineman with the New Orleans Saints. “Koa” means “strong warrior” in Hawaiian.
Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance shoots baskets while warming up with his team before the Hoosiers and Wildcats play college basketball at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky December 13, 2025. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Spurs knew they were taking the long approach when they drafted Jayden Quaintance with the 20th overall pick. While he fits the exact big man prototype they were missing last season, he only played in four games for Kentucky this year after suffering a torn ACL and meniscus in February of 2025 with Arizona State, never quite returning to his usual self and causing his slide from lottery prospect to the back of third of the first round despite being the top defensive prospect in the draft.
He confirmed Tuesday that he expects to undergo one more medical procedure to clean up his knee and get right once and for all. That may seem daunting, and such a procedure usually requires about a 6-month recovery period, so it’s very possible we don’t see him in a Spurs uniform until the 2027 portion of next season, if at all, but the good news is one well known NBA doctor told On3.com that the procedure would be a long-term solution, and once he recovers, that should be the end of any issue with that knee.
Dr. Riley Williams III — head team physician and orthopedic surgeon for the Brooklyn Nets and famous for performing surgery on Paul George’s gruesome open tibia-fibula fracture with USA Basketball in 2014 — gave a second opinion on Quaintance’s injured right knee that limited him to four games in Lexington and recommended a follow-up procedure that could keep him off the floor for six months. The 6-foot-11 prospect’s ACL remains fully intact and his knee can be maintained at its current state, but a clean-up is preferred for a permanent resolution.
…This procedure could lead to a delayed start to his rookie season, but the long-term reward of a healthy 15-year career in the NBA is the prize on the table. It kept teams in the lottery and late teens intrigued, despite rumors of a potential fall to the second round. Sources close to Quaintance felt San Antonio at No. 20 was a backstop for the talented forward going into draft night, an educated hunch that proved to be accurate.
This may sound familiar to some Spurs fans. Back in 2000, Tim Duncan tore his meniscus late in the regular season. He felt he could play through it, but the Spurs decided to sacrifice those playoffs and the defense of their 1999 title for the sake of his long-term career and forced him to get surgery then and there (much to his chagrin at the time). Had he not done the surgery or delayed it for the playoffs but caused even more damage to his knee, it’s quite possible we aren’t talking about an all-time top 10 player and five championships across what would become a 19-year career.
While we obviously aren’t giving Quaintance Duncan-level expectations (that’s Victor Wembanyama’s job), Timmy is a shining example of what taking care of yourself early to avoid long-term impact can lead to, even if your young body thinks you can handle it.
The Spurs already knew they could afford be patient and let Quaintance get healthy, and without the pressure that the lottery brings of choosing THE right guy, they showed they were willing to take a chance on a player with extremely high upside if he can get healthy. Assuming he does, he should end up being well worth the risk. If not, they added an insurance policy by trading up to the 26th pick to select Tarris Reed, another defensive minded big man who is NBA-ready and can help fill the gaps behind Wemby and Luke Kornet on day 1.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JUNE 22: Ali Sánchez #39 of the New York Yankees his hit by a pitch in the seventh inning in front of Dillon Dingler #13 of the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on June 22, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees offense has hit a bit of a rut of late, entering play Tuesday on the back of a three-game losing streak and four losses in their last five, the team scoring three or fewer runs in all of those losses. As such, there haven’t been many options to choose for At-Bat of the Week, meaning backup catcher Ali Sánchez earns his first nod in this series for his RBI double in the Yankees’ 5-3 series-opening loss against the Tigers on Monday.
We join Sánchez with two outs in the second inning facing Tigers’ southpaw and longtime playoff enemy with Houston Framber Valdez. José Caballero is on first after drawing a two-out walk, and his speed means that any hit that finds the outfield wall should be enough to open the scoring.
Valdez starts Sánchez with a first pitch sinker at 93, Dillon Dingler setting a target low and away.
Valdez misses his spot, grooving this sinker pretty much right down the middle. Sánchez gets off an excellent swing, but just underneath the pitch. You can tell he was right on time by the way he fouls this pitch straight back to the brickwork behind home.
Seeing how Sánchez was all over that pitch from a timing standpoint, Valdez immediately changes speeds to the changeup. Again, Dingler sets a target low and away hoping to play off the release point of the previous sinker and fool the hitter in both timing and movement.
Once again, Valdez pulls this pitch toward the zone. It ends up low and in instead of low and away, Sánchez at one point thinking he is going to get hit by the pitch. The changeup never looks like a strike during its entire path toward home, making for an automatic take from Sánchez.
Valdez switched away from the sinker after failing to execute, but interestingly sticks with the changeup despite the poor execution of the one we just saw.
This one is slightly better execution, but like the first pitch sinker is still in a very hittable zone for Sánchez middle-down. Sánchez once again gets off another impressive hack, but can’t sync his swing path to the downward movement of the pitch and tops it foul. It is worth noting that he was on time with his swing against both the sinker and changeup, so he must be seeing the ball well out of Valdez’s hand.
With the count at two strikes, and having slowed down Sánchez’s bat with the prior pair of changeups, Valdez climbs the ladder with the four-seamer looking to get the strikeout on a pitch above the zone. If he can locate the pitch close enough to the top of the zone, Sánchez should chase – the only fastball he has seen so far is a sinker, whereas the four-seamer drops ten inches less.
Instead, Valdez gets his release point all wrong, perhaps distracted by Caballero taking off for second base, and Sánchez has to dodge some high chin music.
Now that Caballero is standing on second, I wonder if Sánchez’s mindset changes here from looking to do damage to simply getting bat on ball trying to find the outfield grass.
Based on this swing against the curveball, it looks like Sánchez has shifted his approach away from trying to pull the ball in the air to more of an all-fields approach. It’s actually an impressive piece of hitting – you can tell Sánchez recognizes the pitch almost from the moment it leaves Valdez’s hand from the way he stays back on the pitch looking to drive it to the opposite field. He doesn’t miss a double down the right field line by all that much as he’s getting closer and closer to barreling the ball with each piece of contact he makes.
I wonder if Valdez is starting to feel uneasy having seen Sánchez make an on time swing against pitches in three distinct velocity bands: mid-90s on the fastball, mid-80s on the changeup, and mid-70s on the curveball. Watching Sánchez wait back on that curveball, it appears Valdez thinks he can now throw a fastball by him.
This is a hell of a take from Sánchez. The pitch looks like a strike on the outer half when it leaves Valdez’s hand, only for the 13 inches of arm-side movement to carry it off the plate away. In a split second, Sánchez diagnoses pitch type, recognizes location, and remembers the movement of the sinker away from him.
Once again, I am pretty surprised that Valdez opts for a changeup in this full count. It is his third-best pitch, and he missed his location with the first two he threw to Sánchez.
Indeed, he misses his location for a third time, this one the worst of the lot. He leaves this pitch right down Broadway, and Sánchez jumps all over it, grounding it hard through the hole on the left side to plate Caballero as the game’s opening run. I love how level Sánchez’s swing is here, allowing him to stay slightly more under control of his barrel while still getting off an A-swing.
Here’s the full AB:
It’s not often that I feature an AB from a losing effort on AB of the Week but frankly that speaks to the poor quality of ABs up and down the lineup for the better part of a week. Expectations for Sánchez are pretty tempered given he is effectively their third catcher. All you really want from him is a credible AB against righties and to do damage should he get a mistake he can handle, and he checked both those boxes with this encounter.
The Yankees desperately need better offensive production from the catcher position, Sánchez, Austin Wells, and J.C. Escarra combining to produce the third-worst wRC+ (53) of any team’s backstops. Perhaps that is why I have felt encouraged by the quality of at-bat exhibited by Sánchez over the last week. After looking downright overmatched in his initial exposure – no hits and a 50-percent strikeout rate in his first five games – Sánchez has turned things around to go 6-for-12 with two doubles, three RBIs, and a 243 wRC+ in his last five games. While that tiny sample size is certainly not prescriptive of future performance, it’s enough to earn more opportunities against lefty pitching whenever he returns from the paternity list (or possible injury).
DENVER, COLORADO - JUNE 19: Kyle Freeland #21 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Coors Field on June 19, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kyle Freeland (1-7, 7.36 ERA) will take the mound for the Rockies, looking to replicate the success of his previous start. Freeland cruised through seven scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates before coming out to pitch the eighth inning, where he ended up responsible for two runs. He allowed just four hits and struck out eight, including his 1,000th career punchout, while allowing no walks for the second straight start. Freeland has been a little bit more comfortable at home this season, sporting a 1-2 record along with a 6.32 ERA in 31.1 innings over six starts. As for his experience against the Red Sox, he has made two starts and allowed six runs on nine hits over 11.2 innings.
Ranger Suarez (3-3, 2.93 ERA) is scheduled to make the start for the Red Sox. The former Phillie standout has had mixed results in his first season in Boston, as he has battled a little bit of inconsistency between less-than-average starts and ace-like outings. However, has settled into a familiar form in June while staying effective overall. Over his three starts this month, Suarez has allowed just three runs over 18 innings with five walks and 18 strikeouts. His last outing came in Seattle, where he threw 6.2 shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five and walking three, to bring his ERA under three. He owns a 2.43 ERA against the Rockies in seven appearances, including a 3.20 ERA in four appearances at Coors Field. As for facing right-handed batters, he has limited them to a .202 AVG as opposed to lefties, who are hitting .266 against him.
Austin Reaves has opted out of the final year of his contract so he can re-sign with the Lakers for four years and $185 million. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Both Austin Reaves and the Lakers have always stated their desire to continue their relationship that started when he was an undrafted prospect five years ago.
They will.
Reaves intends to re-sign with the Lakers for a maximum deal of four years and $185 million, people not authorized to speak on the matter confirmed to The Times on Wednesday.
Reaves opted out of his deal that was to pay him $14.8 million next season and would have become one of the top free agents on the market.
Instead, he will sign the richest contract in NBA history for an undrafted player. The deal also includes a player option for the final season in 2029-30.
Reaves’ representatives and the Lakers began working together on a deal in recent days when teams were able to negotiate with their own free agents at the conclusion of the NBA Finals.
Reaves, 28, will earn about $46 million per season, starting with making $41.3 million in the first year.
After the Lakers lost in the second round of the playoffs to Oklahoma City, Reaves had this to say when asked about his future and returning to the Lakers.
“I’ve been around for five years and y’all I would say, but I don’t think about [it] much,” Reaves said. “I take life day by day and I’m just blessed to have an opportunity to play for this organization, play a kid’s game. I make good money. But like I said, I don’t think about what I’m really going to do in the future, just day by day.”
The Lakers were aware that several teams, including Brooklyn and Detroit, had expressed interest in Reaves, and L.A. didn’t want to let him get away, making sure they didn’t by agreeing to a deal to keep him.
During his exit interview with the media last month, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka spoke about Reaves.
“He started his journey here as a Laker and has made it very clear to us that he wants his journey to continue as a Laker,” Pelinka said. “And we feel the same way. We want his odyssey to continue to unfold in the purple and gold. As you know, there’s rules and timing to all of that but I think both sides have made it abundantly clear that we want to work something out where he continues his prolific career here.”
Reaves averaged career highs in points (23.3) and rebounds (4.7) last season, and 5.5 assists.
But he appeared in a career-low 51 games, a calf and oblique injuries keeping him out of games.
He missed the last five regular-season games with the oblique injury suffered on April 2 at Oklahoma City and the first four first-round playoff games against the Rockets. But he worked hard to return in the last two postseason games against the Rockets and the four against the Thunder.
In those six playoff games, Reaves averaged 20.0 points, 5.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds and shot 40.7% from the field, 25.7% from three-point range.
“That’s the beautiful thing about basketball is there’s always opportunities and areas that you can continue to grow,” Reaves said during his exit interview. “You’re never going to be complete in the full game. So, I’ll take some time off, get back in the gym and continue to get better.”
NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor is ready to rejoin the New York Mets — just as Juan Soto deals with a back injury that may sideline him.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he couldn’t rule out a trip to the injured list for Soto, who exited a 9-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs after the fourth inning because of a tight back.
Soto, who was pictured on SNY wearing a wrap around his back in the dugout, underwent imaging before the doubleheader. Mendoza said he hoped Soto could be available at some point but acknowledged a level of concern for the superstar outfielder, who is in the second season of a 15-year, $765 million deal.
“We’ve got to wait,” Mendoza said. “Obviously not ideal when a player like him come out of a game. Those guys are tough and they know how important they are and they take pride on being in the lineup everyday and posting.
“I just didn’t like how he looked yesterday. We’ve got to wait.”
Soto’s injury may delay his reunion with Lindor, who is expected to be activated prior to the nightcap. The 32-year-old shortstop has been sidelined since suffering a strained left calf while running the bases against the Minnesota Twins on April 22 — the same day Soto returned from an 18-day stint on shelf due to a strained right calf.
Lindor played in his third rehab game, when he was 2 for 5 while scoring twice for Triple-A Syracuse. He made the four-hour trip back to New York following the game, which factored into the Mets’ decision to hold off on activating him.
“Everything checked out well after the game last night but he got in late, so we told him to kind of recover this morning,” Mendoza said. “We anticipate him being in the lineup.”
Mendoza said the Mets will proceed cautiously with Lindor following the longest injured stint of his 12-year career. Lindor, who missed just 15 games the previous four years, likely will sit out Thursday and also will see more time than usual at designated hitter.
Lindor and Soto have played just nine games together this season for the last-place Mets, who haven’t recovered from the 12-game losing streak they endured during Soto’s absence. New York, which hasn’t finished in last place since 2003, is seven games out of the final National League playoff spot.
“I’m just worried about Soto,” Mendoza said. “I’m not thinking about Lindor back, Soto out. It is what it is, right? Hopefully we can get those two in the lineup for a long time here for the rest of the season and we can make a run at it.”
Mendoza also announced beleaguered starter Kodai Senga has been shifted to the bullpen. Senga last gave up seven runs over 3 2/3 innings as his ERA rose to 10.08. He hasn’t earned a win since June 12, 2025, when he suffered a hamstring injury covering first base against the Washington Nationals.
Senga, a noted creature of habit, has made just one relief appearance for the Mets. He threw the final 1 2/3 innings of Game 6 of the 2024 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“We’re going to adjust his routine, he’s going to have to adjust his routine,” Mendoza said.
Here’s to yet another Gatorade bath after today’s game! | (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
The White Sox have a chance to sweep their division rivals after reclaiming first place from the Guardians after Tuesday’s win. The pitching matchups are fairly even, with Erick Fedde (2-6, 4.48 ERA) facing a struggling Tanner Bibee (2-8, 4.03 ERA). White Sox batters will need to be cognizant of Bibee’s strikeouts, however. While his pitching stats don’t seem anything special on paper, Bibee has punched out 78 batters on the season so far.
Chris Murphy will be used as an opener for Fedde in this afternoon’s contest. Sam Antonacci gets to lead it off today, and Kyle Teel is back behind the plate and batting cleanup. His season debut didn’t go well on Monday night, so hopefully he can bounce back and produce a few hits like we saw in Charlotte.
As mentioned above, Bibee excels at striking out batters. Cleveland always manages to put on pitching clinics, but at this moment in time, that’s all they really have. Bibee also has 40 earned runs on his tab, and has not had a lot of luck in his last seven games.
First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. CT. You can watch the game on CHSN or listen on ESPN Chicago 1000.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 19: Manager Mark Kotsay #7 of the Athletics heads to talk with home plate umpire Dan Merzel #3 after being ejected during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Sutter Health Park on June 19, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of manager Mark Kotsay’s flaws has reared its ugly head more than usual of late, and that is a lack of understanding of who his relievers are, what they do well, and just as importantly what they do not do well. Sometimes you get away with “wrong move, right result” and often you do not.
A Costly Blunder
A devastating loss Sunday came when the A’s, poised to take the 3 of 4 they should against the last place Angels, served up 3 in the 7th and 2 in the 9th in a 9-7 gut-puncher.
The blunder came in the 7th inning when Kotsay had to select a reliever to start the inning with a 7-4 lead. He went with Hogan Harris, why? Kotsay has said Harris is “the reliever I trust the most” and also 2 of the 3 batters due up to start the inning batted LH.
Here’s the problem. While valuable and useful for his durability and competitiveness, Harris shouldn’t be the A’s most trusted reliever because he isn’t actually worthy of that moniker. No matter how you slice it, in 36 IP Harris has not only allowed 34 hits he has also walked 24 and hit 3 more.
It’s also foolish to bring in Harris, as Kotsay has repeatedly done, to try to neutralize LH batters because LH batters have a whopping .403 OBP against Harris. And even if you mistakenly believed Harris was a good choice to retire LH batters, that was rendered moot when Vaughn Grissom came up to pinch hit leading off the inning.
It should have come as no surprise that Harris, who issues a freebie of some kind 3 times every 4 innings, hit Grissom with a pitch to lead off the inning. Nolan Schanuel’s seeing eye single was bad luck, but again no shock that a LH batter got a hit off Harris considering they are batting .292 for the season against him. Then came the crippling 3-run HR by Denzer Guzman.
But it goes beyond choosing Harris because of unwarranted “trust”. Mason Barnett was available and while his long term prognosis is still blurred by small sample, you can’t argue with what he has done so far out of the bullpen: 13.2 IP, 7 hits, 1 ER, 7 BB, 18 K. And the lone run came on a solo HR when Barnett was pitching with a 10 run lead; in high leverage he has been nails.
Another Puzzler That Didn’t Cost
Last night once again Kotsay ignored the skill sets of his relievers in a close game. With the A’s trailing just 2-1 he asked Matt Krook to pitch the 5th, then sent him out to begin the 6th. This made sense with the LH batting Jung Hoo Lee leading off. Lee walked, however, and that brought up the RH batting Willy Adames.
By this time Mason Barnett was well warmed up in the bullpen, but for some reason Kotsay decided to stay with Krook. The problem? Check out Krook’s career body of work against RH batters over the 36 batters he has faced: .400/.472/.667.
Kotsay went to Barnett one batter later, and got lucky that it wasn’t “one batter too late” as Adames made solid contact but grounded out. One can imagine maybe Barnett was having trouble getting loose, wasn’t ready, etc., only that would also be on the manager if he didn’t use the top of the 6th to give his reliever ample warning he was going to be summoned in the bottom half.
The pattern you’re seeing is a manager who seems to think that Harris is a good choice against LH batters and a great choice for high leverage in general, that Krook can handle RH batters too, that Barnett is nothing special and can be burned for 2 IP in a blowout then not used in high leverage — none of which is true based on the actual stats, performances, available data and information.
If you don’t understand your own players, it’s hard to use them correctly. You wind up acting like Lawrence Butler is a capable CFer and that the AL’s RBI leader should bat lead off. The A’s just don’t have a strong enough bullpen to also be used improperly, and yet there you have it. And it’s costing the team actual wins they don’t have to give.
Luckily, Gage Jump is the type of pitcher who tends to make a manager look smart no matter what he does. Jump goes tonight in as close to a must-win as you’ll find in June as the A’s try to avoid losing contact with the .500 mark in a weak AL that still won’t send a sub-.500 team to the post-season. Here’s hoping Kotsay doesn’t yank him in the 3rd inning of a 0-0 game to play the platoon match ups.
ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 07: Tyler Kinley (45) of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the Sunday afternoon MLB game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves on June7, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Following yet another depressing loss in Petco Park for the Atlanta Braves, some changes have been made and there’s some good news as far as the bullpen is concerned. Tyler Kinley is back healthy after dealing with “right elbow inflammation” and has been reinstated from the 15-day IL as a result.
The #Braves today reinstated RHP Tyler Kinley from the injured list after optioning RHP JR Ritchie to Triple-A Gwinnett. The club also selected RHP Ian Hamilton to the major league roster and designated RHP Carlos Carrasco for assignment.
This is very big news and not just because of the fact that Kinley had been turning things around before his IL stint after a rough first on the mound. Ever since May 13, Kinley had produced a 2.45 ERA (59 ERA-) and a 3.56 FIP (87 FIP-) across the 12 appearances he made leading up to his IL stint. Getting Kinley back will be huge since the bullpen was starting to show some signs of wear. Due to Robert Suarez’s forearm issues, Carlos Carrasco ended up pitching two high-leverage innings and to be quite honest, that’s just not an ideal situation for the Braves in this particular moment in time. So yeah, getting Kinley back will be massive for a bullpen that has largely kept it pushing despite dealing with whatever woes may come their way.
Speaking of Carrasco, he’s going back on the DFA cycle following last night’s performance and he’s been subsequently replaced by Ian Hamilton. So far, Hamilton has pitched one inning for the Braves and it was back on April 21 when he gave up three runs on two hits and two walks, so I’d imagine that you can guess that the Braves are doing this simply to have another arm available until Cookie does his latest circuit on the DFA cycle and they can bring him back again.
Meanwhile, the corresponding move for Tyler Kinley was that JR Ritchie was sent back down to Triple-A Gwinnett following his efforts on Tuesday in San Diego. As admirably as Ritchie performed in getting through five innings in each of his past three starts, giving up five runs each to the Giants and Padres is certainly not conducive to success — especially in a situation where the Braves are badly in need of consistent and stable starting pitching. Ritchie did end up with seven strikeouts on the night but he also walked four and gave up five hits on his way to giving up those five runs (four earned) and it also came as a bit of a gut punch since it happened all in the frame immediately after Atlanta had score four runs, themselves.
So while Ritchie has shown some promise during his time with the Braves so far this season, it’s clear that he’s going to need a bit more work in the minors before this the big leagues becomes his permanent home station. For now, the Braves do get one of their more effective relievers back from the injury list so that’s one less thing to worry about for the time being. It’s one thing but it’s a big thing.
Jun 7, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Jaden Hill (0) reacts after a two-run home run by Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez (99) in the sixth inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
On Wednesday morning prior to their final game of three against the Boston Red Sox, the Colorado Rockies announced that they have placed right-handed reliever Jaden Hill on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder tendonitis.
Hill, 26, was originally selected in the second round of the 2021 draft as a starting pitcher. However, he was converted into a reliever for the 2024 season. He has since become a regular contributor in the Rockies bullpen after posting a solid 3.38 ERA in 28 appearances last season.
The Louisiana State University product started out strong this season. Through the end of May he had posted a 2.61 ERA with 23 strikeouts and just nine walks over 20.2 innings of work. Unfortunately, he has struggled in the month of June. In nine appearances this June he has completed just six innings and given up nine earned runs on eight hits, eight walks, and just five strikeouts. He has also hit three batters and seen his ERA grow to 5.06 while finishing a full inning in just three appearances.
In a corresponding roster move, the Rockies have recalled right-handed reliever Seth Halvorsen from the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes.
Halvorsen, 26, has a 3.31 ERA over 18 appearances and 16 strikeouts over 16.1 innings across multiple stints with the Major League roster.
Los Angeles, CA - April 29: Austin Reeves #15 high fives teammate LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers after scoring against the Houston Rockets in the first half of game 5 of a Western Conference first-round NBA playoff basketball game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Austin Reaves is officially coming back to the Lakers.
On Wednesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Reaves agreed to a four-year, $185 million max contract with a player option in 2029-30. Other teams couldn’t have offered him more than a four-year, $177.4 million deal, but the Lakers could have given him a five-year, $239.25 million deal by tacking on a fifth year worth nearly $54.5 million.
The best news of all? Reaves’ new contract has zero bearing on the Lakers’ potential spending power this offseason.
Reaves has a $20.9 million cap hold, roughly $20.3 million less than he’s set to earn in 2026-27 under his new contract. His $41.25 million max salary won’t go on their books until he officially signs that deal, though.
As we’ve been telegraphing for nearly 18 months, the Lakers will first spend however much salary cap space they decide to manufacture this offseason. Once they’re out of cap room, they can officially re-sign Reaves via his Bird rights, even though that will push them well over the cap.
The Sixers pulled off this same strategy two years ago with Tyrese Maxey, which is what enabled them to sign Paul George. The Lakers won’t have quite as much cap space this summer as the Sixers did heading into the 2024 offseason, but they could still have $50-plus million to spend.
However, there’s a reason why “rival teams look at the Lakers as having ‘phantom’ cap space,” according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Getting up to that $50 million figure would require renouncing their rights and/or parting ways with LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and the rest of their free agents.
What can the Lakers do this offseason?
As of now, the Lakers technically do not have any cap space. LeBron’s cap hold alone ($57.75 million) wipes out all of their potential spending power.
Before they officially do anything else, the Lakers must decide on LeBron’s future. If they re-sign him, his new salary would replace that $57.75 million cap hold, which could open up some spending power. If they renounce their rights to him or he signs elsewhere, that cap hold will be wiped off their books entirely.
To a lesser extent, the same holds true for Hachimura ($27.4 million cap hold), Maxi Kleber ($20.9 million cap hold), Kennard ($13.2 million cap hold) and Jaxson Hayes ($6.6 million cap hold). The Lakers will have to make decisions on Hachimura, Kleber and Kennard before they’ll officially have any cap space.
If the Lakers plan to bring back LeBron, Hachimura, Kennard, Kleber and/or Hayes, there’s a non-zero chance that they won’t have cap space at all this summer. In that case, they’d likely choose to operate as an over-the-cap team, which would give them access to the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception as long as they stayed below the first apron. If they go the cap-space route, they’ll have the $9.4 room MLE instead.
That’s where Reaves’ contract could impact L.A. the most for now.
How does Reaves’ contract impact the Lakers?
While Reaves won’t cut into the Lakers’ potential free-agency plans, he’s one piece of a much larger cap-space puzzle. Knowing what they’ll be paying him could help give the Lakers clarity about how much they’d be willing to spend on their other free agents.
If the Lakers go over the first apron, they’d lose access to the non-taxpayer MLE and would only have the $6.1 million taxpayer MLE. If they went over the second apron, they wouldn’t have a mid-level exception at all.
The Lakers are now hard-capped at the second apron after sending cash to the New York Knicks in their trade-up for Cameron Carr. That’s projected to land at $222 million, so that’s the upper limit of the Lakers’ spending power this offseason.
While the second apron might not sound like a real concern given their ability to manufacture $50-plus million in cap space, money could add up quickly for them. For example, if they re-signed LeBron to a deal starting at $35 million and re-signed Hachimura to a deal starting at $20 million, they could be less than $20 million away from the first apron and roughly $32.5 million away from the second apron.
There are too many moving parts right now to accurately project what the Lakers’ cap sheet might look like once the dust settles on free agency. They might be able to stay below the first apron and spend the full non-taxpayer MLE, or they might get close enough to the second apron that they won’t be able to spend their MLE at all. It’s rare for teams to have that much potential variance heading into free agency, but that’s what happens when this many key players become free agents at once.
So, while Reaves’ contract won’t affect the Lakers’ potential cap space this offseason, his new salary could affect which mid-level exception they have to spend.
Houston Astros starter Mike Burrows should be in for a tough day against the pesky Toronto Blue Jays batters, who profile well against him, making Over 2.5 runs allowed my favorite play of the day.
Read on for my Astros vs. Blue Jays predictions and MLB picks for this Wednesday, June 24 matchup.
Astros vs Blue Jays predictions
Astros vs Blue Jays best bet: Mike Burrows Over 2.5 earned runs (-150)
The Toronto Blue Jays' offense is turning a corner, averaging 4.6 runs per game with a 113 WRC+ over their last 10 games.
They also profile well against Mike Burrows, who throws a heavy dose of the four-seamer, with the changeup as his main secondary pitch. The Houston Astros' hurler owns a 5.89 ERA this season, allowing 4.3 runs per game over his last six full starts.
Toronto handles his pitch mix well with a league-leading .263 average against the four-seamer and changeup with a .440 slug rate.
The Jays have seen a power uptick lately as well, with 15 home runs over their last 10 games, which is a big reason why they’ve been able to score more runs lately.
I’d bet this to -160.
COVERS INTEL: Burrows gives up a lot of contact, ranking in the 22nd percentile in xBA, and decently hard contact with a high air-ball and line drive rate.
Astros vs Blue Jays same-game parlay (SGP)
Kazuma Okamoto has a hit in four of his last five games and profiles well against Burrows’ pitch mix, owning a .346 average against them since June 1. He’s recorded at least one hit in 14 of 19 games this month.
The Astros own a 32% strikeout rate against the splitter with a 38% whiff rate. Blue Jays starter Trey Yesavage uses the splitter as his out-pitch and generates a 40% whiff rate on it.
Astros vs Blue Jays SGP
Mike Burrows Over 2.5 earned runs
Kazuma Okamoto Over 0.5 hits
Trey Yesavage Over 5.5 strikeouts
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Astros vs Blue Jays home run pick: Kazuma Okamoto (+265)
Okamoto profiles well against Burrows, who’s a contact pitcher that gets barreled up at a 9.1% rate and ranks in the 54th percentile in hard-hit rate
The Jays slugger barrels the ball better than any other Blue Jays and makes hard contact with a .300 average and a 56.8% hard-hit rate against Burrows’ top pitches.
Additionally, Burrows has surrendered 18 home runs through 14 starts this season, including at least one in eight of his last 10 outings.
Despite the favorable matchup, I’ll make this a half-unit wager due to the volatility of the home run market.
2026 Transparency record
Best bets: 36-40, +1.15 units
SGPs: 14-62, +0.15 units
HR picks: 13-63, +2.4 units
Astros vs Blue Jays odds
Moneyline: Houston +120 | Toronto -140
Run line: Houston +1.5 (-160) | Toronto -1.5 (+140)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (-110) | Under 8.5 (-110)
Astros vs Blue Jays trend
The Toronto Blue Jays have hit the first five innings (F5) run line in seven of their last 10 games (+3.65 Units / 31% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Astros vs. Blue Jays.
How to watch Astros vs Blue Jays and game info
Location
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Date
Wednesday, 6-24-2026
First pitch
7:07 p.m. ET
TV
SCHN, SN
Astros starting pitcher
Mike Burrows (3-8, 5.79 ERA)
Blue Jays starting pitcher
Trey Yesavage (3-3, 3.76 ERA)
Astros vs Blue Jays latest injuries
Astros vs Blue Jays weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
WACO, TEXAS - DECEMBER 29: Cameron Carr #43 of the Baylor Bears smiles after a play in the first half during the game against the Arlington Baptist Patriots on December 29, 2025 at the Foster Pavilion in Waco,Texas. (Photo by Jake Schroeder/Baylor Athletics)
This NBA Draft has been lauded as one of the deepest in recent years.
Considering where they were drafting, the Lakers did the best they could, picking a player with good defensive instincts and a certified 3-point shooter.
Here’s a look at the grades from a number of outlets for the selection.
Carr was reportedly projected to go as high as 14, and the lowest I’d heard he could slide to was 19. But this could end up being a blessing in disguise. Luka streamlines the games of the players around him, and he’ll give Carr more catch-and-shoot 3-point opportunities than he can handle. The Lakers need perimeter depth—they’re currently composed mostly of guards and beefier wings like Rui Hachimura, who’s an unrestricted free agent—so trading up a spot to grab a player they didn’t expect to be available was a nice piece of business.
I had Carr rated five spots higher than this and like his fit in L.A. as an athletic shot-maker who can do more than just make jump shots. I think Carr has a chance to be the player the Lakers thought they were getting when they picked Dalton Knecht. The Lakers paid to trade up and make sure they got their guy.
Cameron Carr was surprisingly still available this late in the first round despite having arguably the best performance of anyone at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine. Arguably the best athlete of anyone, especially among prospects in this range, Carr also provides value as someone who can stretch the floor as a shooter as well. With a wingspan nearly 7-foot-1, he should make a defensive impact breaking up passing lanes and blocking shots as well.
The Lakers were routinely linked to centers throughout mock draft season, which made sense in that the position was clearly a big need. There probably wasn’t enough said about the other needs on this team, though, like defensive playmaking and athleticism on the perimeter, which Cameron Carr will provide in droves.
Carr crushed it during the predraft process, which should’ve surprised no one. He has incredible length (a near 7’1″ wingspan jutting out of his 6’4.5″ frame), anti-gravity hops and an incendiary three-ball. His game is easy on the eyes, even if there are some questions about his creation chops.
It is entirely easy to envision him in a three-and-D role, although he needs to get stronger and more comfortable playing with physicality to really thrive in it. It also takes a good amount of optimism to picture him growing beyond that label, since his handle lacks wiggle, and his playmaking lacks vision.
Carr could have gone 10 picks earlier than this, and it wouldn’t have raised eyebrows (or received a harsh grade). This is awesome value at this spot in the draft, and Carr’s play-finishing should shine alongside a shot-creator like Luka Dončić.
Carr is knockdown three-point shooter on the wing with a 7’1 wingspan and the hops to dunk the ball and block shots at the rim. What’s not to like? Well, I worry he doesn’t have much utility in terms of driving and passing, and I think his defensive projection is a little overrated because he struggles to contain the ball. This is still a pretty good value play, and his shooting will definitely fit well next to Luka Doncic.
Luka Dončić said in a recent interview that he’d ideally like to be paired with shooters that can space the floor so he’s not doubled as often. Well, he got his wish here with Carr after the Lakers traded up to the No. 24 pick with the Knicks. You could have watched every Tennessee game for two years and genuinely not known that Carr existed. Then he transferred to Baylor, and led the team in scoring, shot nearly 40% from 3 on high volume, and looked like a 3-and-D role player who also has blossoming skills off the dribble. With NBA genes in his blood, as the son of former player Chris Carr, Cameron has the skills to make it in the NBA. But at 184 pounds with not a ton of games under his belt, he’s going to get introduced to the NBA’s physicality in a way college basketball never did. The Lakers could use his shooting and creation, though, as another wing on the roster.
Carr definitely slipped a bit, but his physical traits and shotmaking is hard to find at this point in the draft. Carr followed up on his breakout season at Baylor with a terrific showing at the combine. Has a rare overlap of bouncy athleticism, extreme length (7-foot-plus wingspan), and shot-making, which is the basis for high long-term upside projections. Carr is a true three-level threat who can be a tough shot-maker from the perimeter, a constant threat to rise and fire in the mid-range area, and a straight-line slashing threat.
Carr is one of the few perimeter prospects in this draft who can combine length, athleticism, and shot-making. He still has some maturing to do, but Carr gives the Lakers physical tools and shooting range to match. He lacks physical strength and may not have an NBA-ready frame, which could be initially problematic on both ends of the floor.
The Lakers traded up one pick in order to select Carr, who slid from his projected range in the mid-to-late teens. This is a nice fit for him. He’s not great at creating his own shot, but he won’t need to while playing next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. What he can do is jump out of the gym and shoot 3’s. He’s the perfect play finisher to put next to those two. And he has one of the best gunners in NBA history in JJ Redick to draw up plays for him.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
Jose Soriano
Matthew Liberatore
Rhett Lowder
COVERS INTEL: Burrows gives up a lot of contact, 